Snow is gone, cold days ahead

Staff reports

Updated 5:01 pm, Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A man keeps his arms inside his jacket to stay warm in a frigid wind on State Street in downtown Bridgeport on Tuesday, January 22, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

A man keeps his arms inside his jacket to stay warm in a frigid...

Swani Schoberth of Stratford takes a chilly walk with her dog Moonshine at Longbrook Park in Stratford on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. The dog is undergoing socialization training because she was born deaf, a result according to Schoberth of breeding meant to produce an all white Great Dane.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Swani Schoberth of Stratford takes a chilly walk with her dog...

Barbara Gall, of Bridgeport, walks her dog, Ivana, through Beardsley Park Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. The pair had the park to themselves, Gall said, due to the cold temperature.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Snow squalls that spattered the region with white stuff overnight are mostly gone, but strong winds and dropping temperatures will make Tuesday a frigid, slick mess.

Readings will be lower in the region than in the past two years, forecasters say, with wind chills making it feel as cold as single-digits.

"It's a good time to break out the thermal underwear,'' WTNH meteorologist Gil Simmons said at 6:30 a.m. Flurries are likely in some spots throughout the day, he said, "but the real story is the cold. This is the warmest time of the day.''

Arctic air from Canada is dropping south, in a classic winter pattern . High readings along the shore will be 26 -- although the stiff wind will make it feel much colder-- and a low of 4 is predicted for tonight.

Wednesday will be the coldest day of the week, according to the National Weather Service, with a high of 11 degrees and a low of 1. There is a 70 percent chance of snow on Friday, with one or two inches possible.

Spinouts and minor accidents are snarling traffic along Route 8 from Waterbury south, and in spots along I-95, particularly from West Haven and east to Groton. The Merritt Parkway is clean and clear, and the pavement has been treated to reduce or eliminate icing, state officials said.